Cattle-guard.



No. 644,740. Patented Jan. 23, I900. J. H. THRELKELD.

CATTLE GUARD.

1 Application filed Oct.- 20, 1899.)

Nrran STATES PATENT 0 anion.

JOHN H. THRELKELD, OF INDIANOLA, IOWA.

CATTLE-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,740, dated January 23, 1900.

Application filed October 20, 1899. Serial No. 734,241. (No modell) To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. THRELKELD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Indianola, county of Warren, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Guards, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a transverse section of a roadbed, showing my improved gate or guard applied thereto; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof; Fig. 3, a detail cross-section through one of the rails and the adjacent trip bar or rail; and Figs. 4 and 5, detail vertical sections showing the gate closed and open, respectively.

This invention relates to that class of cattle-gates for railways which are composed of two gate-sections pivoted at their outer lower corners upon opposite sides of the track and adapted to be tilted over in opposite directions upon the approach of a train, the weight of the train serving to tilt the gates and hold them out of the way while the train is passing, the gate automatically closing over upon the track after the passage of the train. The objections to gates of this class as heretofore constructed are that the operating devices have been too complicated to be durable and withstand the rough usage apparatus of this sort is necessarily subjected to and that they were easily rendered inoperative by accumulations of snow and ice. They were further objectionable because it was impossible to adapt them to be opened by the approaching engine at a sufficient distance to prevent swiftly-moving trains striking and injuring the gates before they had moved out of the way, and a further objection was that they were not adapted for use upon curved sections of the track. The most serious of these objections, however, was the impossibility of opening the gates at a sufficiently remote distance from the engine to prevent its smashing the gates before they had swung entirely over.

It is the object of my invention to obviate the foregoing objections by providing an extremely simple and durable apparatus that will remain operative in all kinds of weather, that will be adapted for use upon curved tracks as Well as straight tracks, that will insure the complete opening of the gates before the fastest trains can reach them, that will operate to hold the gates open until the entire train has passed, and will operate equally well with trains going in either direction, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings by letters, A A represent the two gate-sections, pivotally supported on horizontal pivots at their outer lower corners, the pivots being journaled in brackets a, supported at suitable points outside the track. Connected to each gate near its pivotal end is a lever b, which is ful crumed upon a pivot supported in a hearing or bracket 0, located outside of the track, and whose inner end extends inward under the track and is bent upward alongside the inner side of the track, its upper extremity being pivotally connected to the underside of atriprail d. As shown, there are two of these triprails, one lying close to and parallel with the inner side of each track-rail and being curved or straight, according as the track is curved or straight. These rails are independent of each other and each is supported at intervals by depending rods e, which work in suitable vertical sockets f, bolted to the ties adjacent to the rail. Each trip-rail is normally pressed upward to a point about on'a level with the track-rail by coil-springs g, inclosed in the sockets, the pins e being headed at their lower ends to prevent the springs from pushing them out of the sockets. The trip-rails are preferably made of angle-iron to give them rigidity and lightness. One of the flanges forms the upper fiat surface of the rail and the other depends from the inner 'edge thereof.

The trip-rails are made sufficiently long (preferably the length of a long car) to insure the gates opening wide before the fastest trains can reach the point where the gates are located after striking the endsof the triprails, thereby avoiding injury to the gates. The trip-rails extend an equal distance on each side of the gate, so thatatrain approaching the gatesfrom either direction will operate them and also so that the gates will be held open not only during the passage of thelongest cars, but also until the rear end of the last car has passed. It will be observed that the instant the car-wheels depress the ends of the trip-rails the entire rails will be bodily depressed and the levers I) caused to tilt the gate-sections over in opposite directions. The rails work vertically and are not pivoted and have no endwise movement, thereby not only avoiding the use of systems of levers, but also permitting the apparatus to be employed on curved tracks, as well as straight tracks, and permitting the trip-rails to be made as long as may be necessary to insure the complete opening of the gates before the train reaches the gates. To break or cushion the fall of the gates when they are thrown outward, suitable spring-buffers 71. are employed.

It will be observed that the gate-sections are normally brought back to a position across the track by the springs which normally hold up the trip-rails. It will also be observed that the brackets to are slotted where the gatepivot works therein, so that the gate may move bodily inward and outward slightly as the lever b swings upward and downward in opening and closing the gate, thereby permitting the employment of a simple lever arrangement and avoiding binding. The slots incline inward and downward toward the rail, so that the weightof the gate is utilized to its fullest extent to assist in closing.

It is obvious that this invention may be employed as a lawn or farm gate, if desired, the wheels of the carriage or other vehicle approaching the gate serving to depress the trip-rails.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A cattle-guard for railways, comprising a pair of gates pivoted at their outer lower corners, brackets supporting the pivot of each gate, said brackets being slotted to permit a bodily inward and outward movement of the gate during the act of opening and closing, a lever pivoted to each gate near its pivot and fulcrumed between the pivotal point of the gate and the adjacent track-rail, the inner end of each of these levers being extended inward under the adjacent rail, a long triprail supported parallel to the inner side of each track-rail and pivotally connected to the inner end of one of said levers, means whereby each trip-rail is normally pressed upward and guided in its bodily vertical movements, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a cattle-guard for railways, the combination of a pair of gates movably supported one at either side of the track, a pivoted lever extending outward from each track and connected to one of the gates, a trip-rail pivotally connected to the inner end of each 1ever and supported parallel to the adjacent track-rail, and means for resiliently supporting each trip-rail at intervals throughout its length, said means consisting of a series of headed pins or bolts depending from the rail, a socket for each of said pins, inclosing its lower end and. secured to an adjacent tie of the track-bed, and a spring inclosed in each socket and normally pressing up against the head of the pin working in the socket, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 13th day of October, 1899.

JOHN H. THRELKELD.

Witnesses:

W. H. BERRY, HATTIE E. SPRAY. 

